Welsh Liberal Democrats Councillor for Cwmbwrla Ward, City and County of Swansea - Visit my main website at www.peterblack.wales

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Obese test dummies

Nobody can accuse the Americans of pulling their weight, at least not when it comes to vehicle safety.

The Daily Mail reports that are packing on the pounds to better reflect the expanding waistlines and larger rear ends of many Americans:

Manufacturer Humanetics has developed the new model after studies found that obese drivers are 78 percent more likely to die in a car crash.
Dummies have traditionally been modeled on a person weighing about 167 pounds with a healthy body mass index.
The new super-sized dummies are based on the measurements of a 273-pound person with a BMI of 35.
A BMI of over 30 is considered morbidly obese by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Seat belts, air bags and other safety features have all been designed for thinner people and don’t fit larger people in the same way, Chris O' Connor, CEO of Humanetics, told ABC.
Typically you want someone in a very tight position with their rear against the back of the seat and the seat belt tight to the pelvis,’ he said.
An obese person has more mass around midsection and a larger rear which pushes them out of position. They sit further forward and the belt does not grasp the pelvis as easily.’
A similar conclusion was reached in a 2010 study from the University at Buffalo and Erie County Medical Center.

DISCLAIMER

The views on this website are personal and should not be assumed to reflect the policy of the Welsh Liberal Democrats or the Liberal Democrats. I do not accept any responsibility for the content of any websites linked from this blog nor should such be implied by my linking to them. Links exist to provide a wider experience of politics and life on the internet or to reciprocate for links here. The views of those commenting on posts are those of them alone. They are published to provoke debate and their publication should not be takem as an endorsement by me.

Published and promoted by Peter Black AM, 110 Walter Road, Swansea, SA1 5QQ on behalf of himself

Hosted (printed) by Blogger.com (Google.inc) of 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.

This web-site is maintained wholly by Peter Black from non-Assembly resources.